Mirror Has Two Faces Part 2
by susan friedman
Summary: Takes place immediately after the movie.


The Mirror Has Two Faces – Part 2

Greg and Rose

"Get in, lady," the cab driver called out as Greg opened the door.

"Oh no, not you again," Rose answered, climbing in the back seat.

"You know this guy?" Gregory asked, taking his place next to Rose and closing the door behind him.

"Don't ask," Rose laughed and then turned towards the cabbie. "I can't believe this! Your windows are still broke?" Rose asked, leaning over the front seat.

Gregory laughed as the cabbie started the meter. He looked at the cabbie, then at Rose.

"Don't complain to me, lady," the cabbie continued, "Complain to the cab company. I got nothing to do with it."

"Alright, alright," Rose said, looking up at Gregory, who was still laughing. He pulled her back, put his arm around her protectively and held her tightly against him. He met her gaze and their eyes locked. There was no one else in the world except themselves.

The cab driver waited for an answer, but when there was none, he looked in the rear view.

"Where to, lady?" he asked, hating to interrupt.

"Uptown," Gregory answered, still looking into her eyes, they were so green; he never really noticed that before. "Columbia University; we're going home."

He shook his head, touching her hair and her cheek. "Sometimes you just don't see what's right in front of your face," he whispered, gathering her up in his arms and kissed her full on the mouth.

The cabbie was about to ask where they were living at Columbia, but the sight in the rear view told him to keep quiet. There was silence all the way back to the university.

He let them out at the school library. Gregory thanked him and opened the door. He got out first, and then helped Rose out.

"Good luck to you, lady," the cabbie said, smiling as he pulled away, leaving them both on the sidewalk.

"Nice guy," Gregory said as they watched the taxi disappear around the corner. "He didn't charge us anything for the ride up here."

He looked at her curiously, "Where did you know him from?"

Rose smiled. She ignored his question, for the moment anyway. "Race you across the street," she said, playfully.

Gregory smiled. "You're on."

"Ready, set, go," Rose yelled as she started to run.

They ran across the street and into the hallway of their apartment building; Rose keeping a small lead. They were both laughing as Greg rang for elevator to take them up to their ninth floor apartment.

"Come here," Greg said, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her close. They kissed waiting for the elevator, inside the elevator and stepping out of it. They broke apart and Rose started for the door, when Gregory pulled her back.

"And where do you think you're going?" he said, "We've got to cross the threshold." He turned the knob, the door opened and he scooped her up into his arms.

Both giggling, he carried her in and kissed her.

"What do you want to do now?" Rose asked him, when they came up for air.

Gregory smiled. "Go to bed," he answered.

"Rose?" he called out. He was still a little groggy and automatically reached out for the alarm clock that was on the night table between the twin beds, but it was gone. He had forgotten that they pushed them together.

"Rose?" he called again, looking around the room, a little surprised it was still light outside. It must have been Saturday afternoon now, and what a beautiful fall afternoon it was. They should go for a walk in the park and bring his laptop. Rose was always full of wonderful ideas.

"Rose!" he called again, hoping it would be the last time. Maybe it was a dream; maybe it didn't happen at all. But then there were the beds; how did the beds…

"I'm here, Greg," she answered finally, taking him in her arms. "You know it's only 1 in the afternoon? We could still…"

But Gregory cut her off with a kiss. "I thought it was a dream," he whispered, the tears starting. "I thought that you had gone like all the others…"

Rose smiled and touched his cheek. "I'm not going anywhere, Greg, not again. Not without you. I love you."

Gregory smiled. "I love you too, Rose. I love you so much."

Claire and Henry

Claire was in the coffee shop where she met Rose and Doris often for lunch. She sat down at the counter and ordered low fat cheesecake and coffee, she was in the mood for something rich. She was upset; Shelton, the massage therapist as he called himself, was married, three kids and another on the way. He cheated on his wife every chance he could get, she knew that now. Why and how she ended up in bed with him was another story. Now she was on another mission, looking for Rose at her mother's request.

"Claire?" She turned and found an older man sitting next to her. He looked familiar, but she couldn't place him.

"Henry Fine," the man said, extending his hand. "Professor of Anthropology at Columbia University. Greg Larkin's friend?" He smiled. "You're Rose's younger sister, right? You were with a guy called Alex?"

Claire smiled and extended her hand. "Yes, I do remember you, Professor Fine. You were at my sister's wedding."

They stared at each other for a minute.

"Have you seen….?"

They both laughed having said it together. 

"Call me Henry," he said, frowning. "Uh, how is the gentleman? Weren't you guys married? I sort of heard that…"

"It's a long story," Claire said, sipping her coffee.

"Have time to talk about it?" Henry asked, "You know, this is Greg's favorite lunch spot. Maybe he'll walk in here. I've been ringing his apartment all day."

"And my mother sent me out here to look for Rose. She thinks they're together, I guess you do too. Henry, it's like they disappeared off the face of the earth. Do you know that he was outside my mother's apartment this morning screaming his head off?"

Henry smiled and shook his head. "So he listened to me, after all. He came over my apartment; he was half out of his mind in love with her. I told him not to lose her, no matter what he had to do." He chuckled. "He goes crazy when he falls in love."

"Well, that's obvious," Claire said, throwing a puzzled look his way. "You mean, you told him to stand in the middle of the street and yell her name over and over?"

Henry nodded. "I guess I did, didn't I? When Greg's in love, he can only concentrate on one thing and if that was the only way to…."

The two were interrupted by giggles and whispering coming from the last table in the back. They heard chairs sliding and plastic cups falling over followed by more giggles Claire remembered that there was a little alcove that was separated from the rest of the eatery by a brick wall. Two or three tables were back there; it was where you went when you wanted a bit of privacy.

"What's going on back there?" Claire asked, looking at Henry.

Henry shrugged. He was about to get up when he caught sight of a busboy coming from the back. Henry recognized him as Peter Steuben, a student from one of his morning classes.

"Hello, Peter," Henry smiled. "How's the work going?"

"A little strange tonight, Professor Fine." Peter pointed to the back and shook his head. "It's just weird seeing two of my professors hanging all over each other. I mean, I always thought that Professor Larkin was so boring."

Henry smiled and clapped Peter on the back. "Thanks Peter. I'll see you Monday morning. Henry turned to look at Claire. "Come on," he grabbed her hand. "I think we've found them."

They found them right where Claire remembered, the two of them sitting across from one another, their eyes locked, holding hands across the table.

"Rose?" Claire shouted. "Where have you been? What's going on?"

Rose and Greg both looked up at them. "Don't ask," she said, smiling, standing up. Reality was starting to set in and she wasn't ready for that yet. She wanted Fairyland a little longer. "What are you two doing here?"

"Greg? You okay? You look terrible."

Gregory had that silly grin on his face. He wasn't as neat as he usually was; he hadn't shaved in twenty-four hours and he was still wearing the same white tee shirt and blue jeans when he had left his apartment yesterday.

"Hello, Henry," he said, standing up. "You were right, everything you said." He turned his attention to Rose. Claire couldn't get over how radiant she looked; even though Rose wearing her old baggy fat clothes. She had never seen her sister this happy.

"I finally got the girl," he giggled, "after all this time." He extended his arms and Rose ran into them. "And she's so beautiful," he added as he held on to Rose for support. He was feeling a little dizzy as usual.

He finally got his balance and the two of them kissed again. They held each other at arm's length, both smiling.

"And the girl isn't going anywhere," Rose told him, which made Gregory all the more giddy.

"There was music, Henry, we heard Pavarotti singing right in the middle of the street." He hugged her tightly. "Our love is true, Henry. It's real."

They kissed again while Claire and Henry stood there, Henry taking it all in stride. It wasn't the first time he'd seen Gregory in love, but it was the first time he'd ever seen him acting like this. No wonder it took him fourteen years to finish that book.

Claire on the other hand, was in a state of shock.

"Mom wants to know…" she began, but Rose cut her off.

"Mom should know where I am, Claire," Rose said, removing herself from Gregory's embrace. "She should have guessed by now, she saw me leave. I'm a big girl you know."

"Come here," Gregory called and she came, Gregory almost falling in the process.

"You two are crazy!" Claire frowned, but Henry just smiled, he was enjoying all of this; in spite of himself.

"I tried your phone, Greg. I couldn't reach you."

Gregory looked up, still holding onto Rose as if she would disappear the minute he let go, but Rose wasn't complaining. She loved every minute of it. "I'm sorry, Henry. I usually turn it down when I'm writing. I guess I forgot to get it up, I mean…."

Gregory laughed and Rose followed; their arms around each other again.

Claire and Henry stared at each other, Henry couldn't stop smiling. "Come on, Claire, let's leave them alone. I'm sure they'll be fine."

Claire wasn't sure about this. She felt a small pang of jealousy as she watched the two of them, hugging and kissing each other and in public yet.

"Oh, alright," she consented, smiling. "How long have you known Gregory anyway?"

Henry ushered her out. "We can discuss that over dinner; I know this great little Italian place not too far from here…"

Claire smiled and nodded. Dinner would be fine as long as he was paying….

She bumped into someone, someone who sent her sprawling on the floor.

"Claire?"

She looked up at the extended hand. "Alex? What are you doing here?"

"You called me looking for Rose, remember?" Alex helped her to her feet. "Or have you forgotten that just like you seemed to forget that we are married?"

"That can be remedied very quickly," Claire answered, "Always interrupting my dreams, staring at me all the time, following me everywhere I go. Rose this and Rose that." She looked at him. "I'm sick of all of that, Alex. It's over between us."

"It was over before it started," Alex countered. "I'm surprised I didn't see it sooner than I did. I actually thought that I loved you, Claire."

The loud voices reached Greg and Rose in the back. They looked at one another and stood up, both heading for the brick wall. Greg put out a hand to stop Rose and tentatively stuck his head around it to see what was going on.

"Listen," Henry said, trying to calm everyone down. "Why don't we all go out to dinner?"

Another cab drove up and Doris walked through the door.

"My God," Greg said.

"What is going on out there?" Rose asked, sticking her head above his. She started to tickle him.

"Stop it," Greg said, trying not to laugh "I'm trying to find out what's going on."

"What the hell is Doris doing here?" Rose said, rubbing her hands along Greg's body.

Greg closed his eyes. "Oh, Rose," he said, turning around to face her. They kissed, but both had forgotten to get behind the wall.

"Come on, guys," Henry pleaded. Alex and Claire were still going at it.

"THERE THEY ARE!" Doris yelled, pointing.

Silence followed the scream. Everyone in the restaurant followed Doris' finger.

Greg and Rose stopped kissing. Both turned around to face Doris pointing finger.

"Uh, oh," Greg said, letting Rose go.

A woman standing next to Henry tugged at his arm. "Who are we supposed to be looking at?"

Henry turned in their direction, mouthing "Get out, go."

Greg nodded and grabbed Rose's hand. "Come on, before it gets worse."

Doris started running toward the back, but Henry put his arm out to stop her. "How about that dinner now?"


End file.
